Laundry care compositions and methods for determining their age

Abstract

A laundry care composition including (a) at least one laundry care ingredient and (b) a leuco composition. The leuco composition has a first color state and a second color state and the mole ratio of second color state to first color state is from 2:98 to 5:95. Also disclosed are methods of determining the approximate functional age of a laundry care composition comprising the steps of (a) providing a laundry care composition that includes at least one laundry care ingredient and a leuco composition, (b) providing a functional age scale that includes a plurality of distinct colors that correspond to a unique functional age and (c) comparing the color of the laundry care composition with the functional age scale.

We claim: 
     
       1. A laundry care composition comprising: (a) at least one laundry care ingredient and (b) a leuco composition, wherein the leuco composition has a first color state and a second color state and the mole ratio of second color state to first color state is from 2:98 to 5:95, wherein the leuco composition is selected from one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       (f) mixtures thereof;
 wherein the ratio of Formula I-IV to its oxidized form is at least 1:3; 
 wherein e and f are independently integers from 0 to 4; 
 wherein each R 20  and R 21  is independently selected from the group consisting of a halogen, a nitro group, alkyl groups, substituted alkyl groups, —NC(O)OR 1 , —NC(O)SR 1 , —OR 1 , and —NR 1 R 2 ; 
 wherein each R 25  is independently selected from the group consisting of a monosaccharide moiety, a disaccharide moiety, an oligosaccharide moiety, a polysaccharide moiety, —C(O)R 1 , —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)NR 1 R 2 ; 
 wherein each R 22  and R 23  is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl group, and substituted alkyl groups; 
 wherein R 30  is positioned ortho or para to the bridging amine moiety and is selected from the group consisting of —OR 38  and —NR 36 R 37 , wherein each R 36  and R 37  is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted aryl group, an acyl group, R 4 , —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)R 1 , and —C(O)NR 1 R 2 ; 
 wherein R 38  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an acyl group, —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)R 1 , and —C(O)NR 1 R 2 ; 
 wherein g and h are independently integers from 0 to 4; 
 wherein each R 31  and R 32  is independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted aryl group, an alkaryl, substituted alkaryl, —(CH 2 ) n —O—R 1 , —(CH 2 ) n —NR 1 R 2 , —C(O)R 1 , —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)O − , —C(O)NR 1 R 2 , —OC(O)R 1 , —C(O)OR 1 , —OC(O)NR 1 R 2 , —S(O) 2 R 1 , —S(O) 2 R 1 , —S(O) 2 O − , —S(O) 2 NR 1 R 2 , —NR 1 C(O)R 2 , —NR 1 C(O)OR 2 , —NR 1 C(O)SR 2 , —NR 1 C(O)NR 2 R 3 , —P(O) 2 R 1 , —P(O)(OR 1 ) 2 , —P(O)(OR 1 )O − , and —P(O)(O − ) 2 , wherein the index n is an integer from 0 to 4; 
 wherein —NR 34 R 35  is positioned ortho or para to the bridging amine moiety and R 34  and R 35  are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl, a substituted alkyl, an aryl, a substituted aryl, an alkaryl, a substituted alkaryl, and R 4 ; 
 wherein R 33  is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, —S(O) 2 R 1 , —C(O)N(H)R 1 ; —C(O)OR 1 ; and —C(O)R 1 ; wherein when g is 2 to 4, any two adjacent R 31  groups may combine to form a fused ring of five or more members wherein no more than two of the atoms in the fused ring may be nitrogen atoms; 
 wherein X 40  is selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, and NR 45 ; wherein R 45  is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, an alkyl, a substituted alkyl, an aryl, a substituted aryl, an alkaryl, a substituted alkaryl, —S(O) 2 OH, —S(O) 2   − , —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)R 1 , and —C(O)NR 1 R 2 ; 
 wherein R 40  and R 41  are independently selected from the group consisting of —OR 1  and —NR 1 R 2 ; 
 wherein j and k are independently integers from 0 to 3; 
 wherein R 42  and R 43  are independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl, a substituted alkyl, an aryl, a substituted aryl, an alkaryl, a substituted alkaryl, —S(O) 2 R 1 , —C(O)NR 1 R 2 , —NC(O)OR 1 , —NC(O)SR 1 , —C(O)OR 1 , —C(O)R 1 , —NR 1 R 2 ; 
 wherein R 44  is —C(O)R 1 , —C(O)NR 1 R 2 , and —C(O)OR 1 ; wherein R 1  and R 2  are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, alkaryl, substituted alkaryl, and R 4 ; R 4  is a organic group composed of one or more organic monomers with said monomer molecular weights ranging from 28 to 500; 
 wherein any charge present in any of the compounds is balanced with a suitable independently selected internal or external counterion, wherein the leuco composition is uncolored and undergoes color change only when contacted with a triggering agent, wherein the one or more leuco compounds are free of a heteroaryl group and the laundry care composition further comprises a hindered phenol. 
 
     
     
       2. The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the leuco composition is selected from the group consisting of an oxazine leuco, a thiazine leuco, a hydroquinone leuco, an arylaminophenol leuco and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       3. The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein R 4  is selected from the group consisting of alkyleneoxy, oxoalkyleneoxy, oxoalkyleneamine, epichlorohydrin, quaternized epichlorohydrin, alkyleneamine, hydroxyalkylene, acyloxyalkylene, carboxyalkylene, carboalkoxyalkylene, and sugar. 
     
     
       4. The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the suitable independently selected external counterions are selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Mg, Ca, iminium, ammonium, phosphonium, fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, perchlorate, hydrogen sulfate, sulfate, aminosulfate, nitrate, dihydrogen phosphate, hydrogen phosphate, phosphate, bicarbonate, carbonate, methosulfate, ethosulfate, cyanate, thiocyanate, tetrachiorozincate, borate, tetrafluoroborate, acetate, chloroacetate, cyanoacetate, hydroxyacetate, aminoacetate, methylaminoacetate, di- and tri-chloroacetate, 2-chloro-propionate, 2-hydroxypropionate, glycolate, thioglycolate, thioacetate, phenoxyacetate, trimethylacetate, valerate, palmitate, acrylate, oxalate, malonate, crotonate, succinate, citrate, methylene-bis-thioglycolate, ethylene-bis-iminoacetate, nitrilotriacetate, fumarate, maleate, benzoate, methylbenzoate, chlorobenzoate, dichlorobenzoate, hydroxybenzoate, aminobenzoate, phthalate, terephthalate, indolylacetate, chlorobenzenesulfonate, benzenesulfonate, toluenesulfonate, biphenyl-sulfonate and chlorotoluenesulfonate. 
     
     
       5. The laundry care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the laundry care ingredient is selected from the group consisting of surfactants, builders, chelating agents, dye transfer inhibiting agents, dispersants, enzymes, enzyme stabilizers, catalytic materials, bleach activators, polymeric dispersing agents, clay soil removal agents, anti-redeposition agents, brighteners, suds suppressors, dyes, perfume, perfume delivery systems, structurants, fabric softeners, carriers, hydrotropes, processing aids, pigments, antioxidants and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       6. A method for treating textile articles comprising the steps of: (a) providing the laundry care composition of  claim 1 ; (b) adding the laundry care composition to a liquid medium; (c) placing textile articles in the liquid medium; (d) optionally, rinsing the textile; and (e) drying the textile articles. 
     
     
       7. A method of determining the approximate functional age of a laundry care composition comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing the laundry care composition of  claim 1 ; 
 (b) providing a functional age scale comprising a plurality of distinct colors wherein each distinct color corresponds to a unique functional age; and 
 (c) comparing the color of the laundry care composition with the functional age scale. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of determining the approximate functional age of a laundry care composition of  claim 7 , further comprising providing a package and wherein the functional age scale is provided on the package.